Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron Announces Grand Jury Indictment Of One Of Three Officers In Breonna Taylor Shooting Case
A grand jury has indicted one of three Louisville police officers involved in the case over the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, according to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Former Louisville Metro Police Department officer Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree in the Breonna Taylor shooting case, a grand jury reported Wednesday, according to the Courier Journal.
The two other officers involved in the case, Myles Cosgrove and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, were not indicted.
During a press conference Wednesday announcing the report, Cameron said that Louisville Police knocked and announced their presence, which he says was corroborated by an “independent witness.” He also said Mattingly and Cosgrove were “justified in their use of force after having been fired upon.”
Cameron added that his office could not pursue charges against Mattingly and Cosgrove. He also warned against reacting based on emotion and said that “mob justice is not justice.”
The decision in the case comes more than 6 months after Taylor was fatally shot in her apartment by Louisville Police while they were executing a no-knock warrant in March. The officers alleged they were fired upon by Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.
Taylor’s death drew national outcry, especially when protests and riots erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd in May.
The grand jury’s decision follows the city of Louisville‘s settlement with Taylor’s family. The $12 million settlement is reportedly the largest in the city’s history, NBC News correspondent Blayne Alexander tweeted. The police department also announced various reforms, including that police executives now have to OK search warrants before being approved by a judge, Alexander wrote. (RELATED: Louisville Police Department Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Grand Jury Decision Regarding Breonna Taylor)
Hankison, who shot 10 rounds into the apartment, was fired after displaying “an extreme indifference to the value of human life,” according to a letter posted on the Louisville Police Department’s Twitter account. Cosgrove and Mattingly were placed on administrative leave after the shooting.
Mattingly allegedly sent an email Tuesday to more than 1,000 colleagues defending his actions the night of Taylor’s death while criticizing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
“I’m sorry you have to go through this. I’m sorry your families have to go through this. I’m sorry the Mayor, [Public Safety Chief] Amy Hess and [Former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD)] Chief [Steve] Conrad failed all of us in epic proportions for their own gain and to cover their asses,” the alleged email, which was first reported by VICE’s Roberto Aram Ferdman, reads.
The Louisville Metro Police Department declared a state of emergency Monday ahead of the grand jury decision, which included cancelling vacation and off-day requests, and scheduling officers for 12-hour shifts. Federal buildings in Louisville were boarded up ahead of the decision, and the National Guard was activated along with a countywide curfew.